Insults

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
INSULTS
Prov 12:16
16 A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
NIV
Here is a tract I think I need a little work on. I am not too sure that I overlook insults very well. Now having said that I think I do not respond every time I am belittled or insulted either. There sure are times I make an effort to set the record straight. I do not like to be criticized by those who are imperfect themselves. I just cannot quite get the hang on the idea that someone who is not perfect expecting another person to be perfect. I cannot understand how anyone has the right to deploy insults. But if I am going to be the man of God I am supposed to be I have to simply ignore them. But that is not always the best course of action, for that increases the wrath of the insulter. I would think I do overlook when the insult is inadvertent or said without actually knowledge that it is an insult. But when it is blatant, and said with malice or a critical spirit I have to admit I am fairly sure I will defend myself in some way. According to this saying I need not even do that, I should ignore all of them. I should simply just go on my merry way, as if that person had said nothing at all. Now maybe I am lumping insults and criticism in the same category and they should not be, yet I think to criticize is to insult. True, they is constructive criticism, but again when coming from a non-perfect being, I think it is all subjective. Now about God, I have to accept his correction. I cannot be annoyed with God for being any form of criticism to my way of thinking or acting. But he does not insult, only man has the capacity, and I must begin anew with the commitment to overlook any and all insults regarding my character, my faith, my thinking and my way of life. Truly the only person I really need to please is God and so I redouble my efforts to follow this course of action.